STAMFORD, CT (CelebrityAccess) — Wrestling promoter World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. announced it has terminated its partnership with Russian broadcaster Match and will shut down its network in the Russian Federation, effective immediately.
The WWE’s decision to pull away from its business interests in the region follows the Russian Federation’s invasion of its neighbor Ukraine, which began last week.
The decision will impact all WWE programming in the region, including the company’s weekly Raw, SmackDown and NXT shows, its on-demand library, and all of its premium live events, including WrestleMania 38.
In ceasing its business operations in the region, WWE joins a growing list of companies that includes Live Nation, Netflix, Warner Bros, Walt Disney, Sony, Paramount and FIFA.
Numerous artists have also canceled tours in the region, including AJR, Green Day, Nick Cave, Louis Tomlinson, YungBlud, Franz Ferdinand, Iggy Pop, and Bring Me the Horizon, among others.
